The Power of Words
Our tongues are the most powerful parts of our body. With our words we have the opportunity to either build up or tear down. Our words can be used to praise God, encourage others and show gratitude but they can also be used to destroy relationships, criticize and even start wars.
Our words also tell on us - they reveal what is in our hearts. Jesus said in Matt. 12:34 …”for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Others can make judgments of us based on how we look, what we do or where we live but our words ultimately reveal the core of who we are as a person.
As you would imagine, the Bible has much to say about the power of words. There are 60 verses in Proverbs alone that caution us about sinful speech. These are words that intend to tear down or deceive others like gossip, lying, slander and criticism. Often, our sinful speech has selfish motivations that attempt to make us feel better about ourselves in some way by putting others down.
The book of James has much to say about the tongue. In the passage below James details the the effects of a sinful tongue.
James 3:3-12 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Here are the key lessons from this passage:
James calls us to control the tongue because its potential to sin is so great. We speak somewhere between 7-20,000 words a day. That’s lots of opportunity for sinful speech.
The tongue has such great power to control. V 3-4, “we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole animal.” You have to break horses with a bit in their mouth and then you can control their whole body. That’s what James is saying. Get control of our tongues and we can direct our whole bodies.
V. 5-6 –”The tongue is a fire.” It has dangerous and limitless power. It can be a devastating thing and must be kept under control. Each of us can remember for years or even a lifetime words that have been said to us – encouraging things and discouraging things. Words are impactful.
V. 7-8 “But the tongue can no man tame; a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”The tongue is untamable like a wild animal - primitive, undisciplined. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we cannot ultimately control our tongues.
The Duplicity of the tongue. V 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?Along with all of the destructive things that the tongue can do, it can equally do good. It can build up instead of tear down. It can create love, enthusiasm, encouragement, peace & joy
Rock star verse that we all should commit to live by:
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
If our lives have been transformed by Christ, it will be reflected in our speech.
Stay hungry,
Big E
Matt. 5:6